Academy Award Voting Lessons for Activists
by Richard Oxman

“Oh those heartthrobs, especially the winners” — My silly neighbor, gushing.

SPECIAL NOTE ADDED FOLLOWING THE REJECTION OF THIS PIECE BY VIRTUALLY ALL ALTERNATIVE OUTLETS: What does one say when Counterpunch Captains Cockburn and St. Clair refuse to post The Ox anymore? There's much unhealthy, unwarranted blacklisting going on, that's for sure. And not just with regard to my work; see my recent article on Keith Harmon Snow, please. What does one say? Well, I guess the same response that one has when hearing Naomi Watts declare that she's doing something for the environment by supporting a hybrid Lexus is in order. The same open mouth is begged for when hearing Terrence Howard beam out loud about how his Clash is the best thing to come down the pike -in the past decade–? It's good when Cpunch posts something like Nate Mezmer's Clash trashing, but such positive posting does not offset the horrid spotlighting of a Scagliotti trying to break the back of Brokeback Mountain-passing up a golden opportunity whilst compounding ignorance with ignorance. Upon request, I'd be happy to forward my partner Sylvie's retort to the terrible damage attempted by Cpunch this weekend-their regressive support of tasteless, tactless and petty intellectual masturbation. Celebrities like Jon Stewart have to watch their hosting words if they want to be invited back. Big Time Alternativos, likewise, must watch their stances so as to not scare away subscribers, I guess. But you and I don't have to walk on such eggshells, do we? As long as we're willing to forgo certain spotlights, oui?

Rebecca Murray, intimately associated with the 78th Oscars, tells me that Academy voting procedures are quite secure, immune to tampering. In her words:

“Nomination ballots are mailed to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in December, and must be returned within two weeks in order for their vote to be counted. The secret ballots must be returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm in charge of processing the votes. PricewaterhouseCoopers tabulates the votes and the final list of nominees is announced in January. Another round of secret voting takes place, with members of the Academy only able to vote on the final nominees listed in each category. Those ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers within two weeks. After the ballots are tabulated, only two partners of PricewaterhouseCoopers will know the results until the envelopes are opened on stage during the Academy Awards presentation.”

Really?

Paradise Now, the Best Foreign Film nominee by Hany Abu-Assad, has been the subject of severe attack this past week…by Isreali relatives of victims of suicide bombers. They’ve been calling for the suicide bomber-centered cinematic winner of the Independent Spirit Awards –and odds on favorite as per the top bookies– to be disqualified, dumped. And defeated it was…by the suprising victor, the South African Tsotsi.

Why can’t there be an upset, pure and simple? How come we can’t just accept the “good turn of events” for the Israeli relatives of victims of suicide bombers at face value, without succumbing to conspiratorial accusations?

Well, perhaps we should follow the money. And by that I don’t simply mean what was laid down at the books. Talkin’ more here about the influence of money and related wood in Hollywood. And the history of tampering. Not in Hollywood (necessarily), but elsewhere. Like in Ohio and Florida for the Big Bucks. In the supposedly More Secure Realm of Higher Stakes.

The real problem is is that the Middle Eastern marvel was the surest lock to come down the pike since Secretariat’s seventh race. It was almost taken off the boards in some places. The last time I remember something like that happening (to me) was for an Ali bout.

Now I don’t really know who runs Hollywood. But I do know that you and I don’t know who’s supervising the voting anywhere these days.

And I thought that it might be an appropriate time to remind the public that no one gets in anywhere anymore unless the results work for The Powers.

A group of Israeli bereaved parents collected more than 32,000 signatures ranting against the nomination of Abu-Assad’s film. And that pressure/potential influence reminded me of what must have come down with the cast of Crash, Best Picture Winner this year. With the huge, star-studded cast lobbying up the kazoo day and night leading up to tonight’s awards, it all begged for a contrast with the low-key, low-profile rounds at Tinseltown parties by the very quiet Ang Lee and Heath Ledger & Co. Hail-fellow-well-met-with-megaphone plays particularly super relative to Humble Soup.

And that’s the other lesson, the damn aspect operating in all elections/selections these days.

Even a legitimate choice by voters is based on a crippled cultural spine.

We’re damned if we vote, and we’re damned if we don’t. It’s time to come up with another option, another use of our heartbeats.

Something devine to hang on the vine. Something not so Hollywood & Vine.

Richard Oxman, info@parisgraves.com, trusts that readers will try to come up with something new for…outside the ballot box. His recent, most updated, writing is at www.oxtogrind.org.